It’s time to weigh in on the complaints of traffic gridlock at SteelStacks in Bethlehem after the city’s Monday fireworks display, which were chronicled Wednesday in a front-page story in The Morning Call.

People complained that after the fireworks, they were trapped in stopped-dead traffic for an hour as overwhelmed roads and construction held them hostage.

Levitt Pavilion

My advice? Dear lord, quit whining.

As someone who attended 75 concerts in the first half of this year, let me tell you that an hour in traffic isn’t all that unusual.

Probably the average traffic time leaving The Electric Factory in Philadelphia is a half hour. The parking decks in Reading for Sovereign Center traffic are probably the same. I’ve waited over 90 minutes in traffic at Wells Fargo Center and over two hours at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J.

And don’t get me started on the Toyota Pavilion at Montage in Scranton, which is a stadium at the top of a mountain with winding two-lane roads leading there.

And none of those were after Fourth of July fireworks. And that doesn’t take into account the road construction surrounding SteelStacks in south Bethlehem.

Anyone who went to the concert and fireworks expecting to zip out of the parking lots have only themselves to blame for not being informed of what lay ahead.

As Clint Eastwood’s character says in the movie “Unforgiven” when someone accuses him of shooting an unarmed man: “Well, he should have armed himself.”

But let me tell you the difference between waiting in traffic at SteelStacks and waiting in traffic at all those other venues: At the other places, you pay for the concert and you pay to park.

At SteelStacks, it’s free.

So people saw what by every account was a delightful concert by Allentown Symphony at a clean, new facility; then saw a nice fireworks display – all free – and all they can do is complain that they had to wait an hour in traffic to get out?

Having said all that, I also have noted that ArtsQuest needs to continue to prepare for Musikfest, when not only will Musikfest Café be there and the Levitt Pavilion will replace Americaplatz as the festival’s largest free stage, but the main stage, SteelStage, will bring up to 7,000 more people to the area.

With that, not only will parking be pushed to the limit (SteelStage will eat up most of one of the lots) but walking around may be a lot harder.

And the difference will be that those 7,000 people will pay to see the concert.

ArtsQuest released a statement Tuesday saying it’s working with the city to devise ways to lessen traffic jams: Traffic barriers, better coordination of traffic lights, offsite parking and more. All of that and more will be needed for Musikfest.

I’ve been very open about what I perceive as areas in which ArtsQuest has fallen short. Food service at Musikfest Café, for example, while far improved, still needs work.

But I’ve been to more than a dozen shows at Musikfest Café and the Levitt Pavilion, and not once have I been caught in traffic. So I’m guessing that means the problem was caused by all those people who were never there before and hadn’t prepared themselves.

The vast majority of what has been done at SteelStacks has been very good, indeed.

Amen. People complained about the culture of the Lehigh Valley. People with vision came along and provided us with something of artistic value that you typically only find in major cities and we still complain. It's easy, if you build something that will attract people, there will be traffic that coincides with it.

Posted By: Emerge | Jul 7, 2011 9:24:27 AM

AMEN! Mountain out a mole hill.

Posted By: dfga | Jul 7, 2011 9:32:35 AM

John Moser,
You get paid by the Morning Call newspaper to write Overly positive articles about the concert scence and especially Steel Stacks. A major concern of the Musikfest Board was the deadly impact traffic was going to have on it's ticket sales by closing off, Sand Island and moving the paid concert scence to Steel Stacks! The vote was closer than you think and its NOT about Whinning, its about economic feasibility of the site! Remember John, not only do you get paid, you get Free benefits with your job, that the John Q public has no idea about. Why dont you do something positive and help STRAT a campaign through the local state representive of that area to pressure the Leghigh Valley D.OT. to complete their work schedule by working 365 x 24. The fireworks debocale is but a fore warning of what's too come when Musikfest starts; the clock is ticking.

Posted By: Don DiNaro | Jul 7, 2011 9:34:16 AM

Don't ever close any bridges in Bethlehem. Hill-to-Hill, Fahy, Minsi Trail, Freemansburg all have to be open. Time traffic lights to keep 3rd Street, PA412 moving. Encourage shuttle usage. Staying an extra hour with additional programming either a post-party at ArtsQuest or Sands. Encourage parking at other lots other than right next to ArtsQuest, such as Lehigh U and surrounding areas. Encourage walking there. Finally, rail service to the site.

Posted By: Asa Packer | Jul 7, 2011 9:34:16 AM

I agree whole-heartedly with John. Stop with the whining already. Some traffic when leaving an entertainment event is expected. If you don't want to deal with that possibility, stay at home!!
Although when the new big stage is constructed for Musikfest, that might cause issues above the norm...we shall see.

Posted By: Smallfeat | Jul 7, 2011 10:22:48 AM

Stop whining about the whining and start whining about the poor road planning. I've made several trips to the Sand's and find a quick trip bogs down between I78 and the casino. Who though a 2-lane connection was a good idea? Poor planning. It gets even worst if you head east into Bethlehem. Allentown would like to create its own traffic nightmare by building a hokey arena in the downtown area, which also has no easy access.

Posted By: T. Chuck | Jul 7, 2011 10:35:32 AM

Don, T. Chuck -- did it ever occur to you that you could also start that same campaign instead of whining about it here?

Totally with you John. It's free. People need to stop bitching about it and plan accordingly. Rail service is a great idea, but unlikely. Maybe some additional public transportation? Trolleys, more buses, etc.?

Posted By: Seriously? | Jul 7, 2011 10:58:54 AM

yeah like John said....

Posted By: Sam Younes | Jul 7, 2011 12:07:41 PM

This issue is about public safety, not a matter of simply being “inconvenienced”. My 10 month old child was having a difficult time breathing from the excessive amount of smoke and there was absolutely no way out had it been more serious. Cars were in such gridlock that they completely turned off. Would your article have the same tone had some innocent bystander been hit by an illegal fireworks and could not get to St. Luke’s which happens to be less than 5 minutes away?

A one lane road to and from the venue and the lack of police presence is unacceptable and exposes this non-profit venue to a major liability. Both lanes should have been used to force traffic in a single direction towards 412. There are less lights to contend with and motorist have the ability to get back to the north side, major arteries, etc. Your inability to see the real issue and provide a solution renders your article meaningless. I commute over three hours a day to the largest city on the planet and expect to sit. Not here.

Posted By: Jason | Jul 7, 2011 1:21:12 PM

You commute to Shanghai in only three hours from the Valley? There's a learning curve whenever a new venue is built - the good grace and patience with which people respond to perceived shortcomings can go a long way toward achieving an outcome that's favorable for all. This was the first test of a large crowd here, there are obviously some details that need tweaking. Let's not all have a cow.

Posted By: Proportionate Response | Jul 7, 2011 4:08:20 PM

I agree it is nothing more than teething problems. What they really need to do (and since it is so close to Rt378 cheap to do) is add those electronic lane indicators, so before the fireworks start, 3 lanes in, 1 out. After fireworks, 3 lanes out, 1 in. And in an emergency, a restricted lane for emergency vehicles. Simple, effective and cheap.

Posted By: Barry Schuler | Jul 7, 2011 5:13:05 PM

Choking on smoke is a teething problem? You might be a retard.

Posted By: Jason | Jul 7, 2011 7:40:37 PM

Wow.you sound like a shill for this place....last I looked this is still America and yes we get to complain....wait until the tax payers of the Lehigh Valley have to start paying for this place....then you'll see real complaining....and whether something is free doesn't matter.....by your logic if they gave away free food that got you sick..you shouldn't complain...
All the goodwill in the world and all of the shill work is not going to make this place a winner....
it won't happen right away.but it will happen...the sands casino will wait forever to get this place....so that is the one good thing about it...

Posted By: eddie lynch | Jul 7, 2011 9:06:46 PM

Is Johnny getting a little something on the side from Parks for writing this BS?

Posted By: WEBE | Jul 8, 2011 6:00:53 AM

Some of you seriously need to get over yourselves. The insanely childish whining is over the top. No one is a "shill" for anything. Would you rather they just tell you to shove it? I cannot believe how many people are so upset about the community giving you a free music venue.

Posted By: You need jobs | Jul 8, 2011 11:45:38 AM

"Probably the average traffic time leaving The Electric Factory in Philadelphia is a half hour. The parking decks in Reading for Sovereign Center traffic are probably the same. I’ve waited over 90 minutes in traffic at Wells Fargo Center and over two hours at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J."

Like I already posted, those times are an exaggeration of the truth and it all depends on the possibility of having mass transit to and from venues.

In Scranton, Reading, or at SteelStacks you can only drive and having that many people drive to the same place is always going to cause issues.

At venues like Camden, Wells Fargo, The Tower, and the Electric Factory you never have to wait 90 minutes for traffic to leave if you take the subway/boat to the venue.

Posted By: Lefty33 | Jul 9, 2011 12:21:16 AM

Moser isn't saying that you're not allowed to complain, he's making an argument that the whining is overblown, a conclusion with which I agree, and I'm no fan of ArtsQuest, or Moser, for that matter. Calling people who propose solutions to an admitted problem "retard," and erecting a straw man about someone preventing your right to complain doesn't really solve any problems, it just makes you look far less credible to anyone with an intellect.

The comments to this entry have been closed.

JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.